I own nothing. Stephenie Meyer owns all.

J POV.

Alice and I walked quietly into the mall, where Alice then proceeded to lead the way to her store.

It was only early morning, but there were already people shopping. We headed straight to the checkout counters that were on the left of the store. My dread that I felt inside slipped to awe as I realised that the place was huge! I couldn't believe that Alice was in charge of all of this! I scanned the store while Alice spoke to some of the staff.

She came back over to me shortly with a worried look on her face. I was immediately concerned. I asked slightly panicked, "Alice, what's wrong?"

She looked up at me with a heartbreaking look on her face as she asked, "You hate me don't you?" I stood confused and frowning as I watched her fish something out of her pocket. She held out a set of keys in front of her as she said, "Here, take my keys; go home, I'm sorry I made you come here."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing! If she thinks that I'm going to leave her alone that easily, she's got another thing coming! I ranted in my mind as I crossed my arms and rose and eyebrow at her. "Alice, I'm not leaving you, I was only shocked that you were that manager of all of this!" I waved my arms as I finished.

I watched her as she dipped her head in embarrassment and said "So you're staying?"

I grabbed on of her small hands and gave it a soft reassuring squeeze as I answered, "I'll be here for as long as you want me."

She blessed me with a smile at that and began dragging me towards the back of the store while saying excitedly, "Good, lets go to the office, I have to look over some papers."

We made it to a black door at the end of the store which had a sign on it saying 'PRIVATE'. Alice led me into the room which had one side dedicated to sofas and a TV, on the other side was a small kitchen and a bathroom.

I decided to go and sit down on one of the sofas while Alice went and got some papers from the filing cabinet near the door. She soon came over and sat next to me and read in silence. Our comfortable silence in the room continued as she read and I watched her.

I watched the way that her cute nose would scrunch up when she read something she possibly didn't like, and the way that she would pout, drawing my attention to her lips.

I hadn't realised that I'd been staring at her until Alice turned to look at me with an eyebrow raised and said, "Jasper, you're staring at me…"

As I shrugged my shoulders I smiled back at her apologising, "Sorry, you just looked cute when you were reading that, is there something in those papers that you don't like the look of?" What the hell? Alice looked cute? I'm going soft!!

She stood without replying and put them away in the cabinet. She then turned around and sighed before saying, "It's nothing, just some stupid stuff that I have to read, come on, let's go find you something to do."

I leapt up and followed her back into the store. It was only morning, but it was already filling up with shoppers. They're all women! I wander how many numbers I can get? I joked to myself as Alice led me to the middle of the store.

"Okay, so what do you want to do, either, tidy the clothes rails up, check the stock, work at the shoe department…." I watched as a frightened look dashed her face before she carried on smiling, "Better not take you to the shoe department actually, it would be like feeding you to the sharks!"

I pondered her suggestions then asked hopefully, "How about checkout?"

She gave me an apologetic look and said, "Maybe some other day."

I shrugged my shoulders saying contently, "That's good enough for me." I knew that Alice always kept her promises.

I looked around the store again noticing just how many people were already in here. I also noticed how a lot of the women were giving me hungry looks, which scared me for once.

I turned back to Alice and admitted, "I don't care what I do, as long as you don't leave me alone with any of those women." I finished while subtly nodding my head at the general direction of a group of 40 something's not too far away, which looked like scheming witches. O my God they look demented!

From beside me I heard Alice say tragically, "You've got a point there, I can't leave you all along without my protection."

"What? I'm the one protecting you, remember?" I asked as she giggled to herself.

She rolled her eyes at me and then stated, "Yes, but you'd get mobbed by hoards of women without my help. Think about it, your young, good looking and way too polite for your own good!" she finished as she walked towards the stockroom.

I stood stunned for a few seconds before I followed her. She thinks I'm good looking? And why do I care anyway! It's only Alice…. I soon followed her as I saw the group of women slowly advance from the corner of my eye.

I was safe in the stockroom thankfully and Alice did as she promised, she came back and checked on me every half an hour to make sure that I was safe. I realised that this job wasn't as bad as it could have been. At least with Alice, she let me do whatever I wanted to do.

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After having lunch in the staffroom, I headed towards the stockroom to finish what I'd been doing, but I felt someone slip their hand into mine. I turned as I began, "Ali.."

I stopped when I noticed that it wasn't Alice, it was someone else. I hadn't seen her in years and she had to be here! "Lauren….hi….what are you doing here?" I asked as I tugged my hand away from her grasp.

"Shopping of course!" she answered me, giggling while flicking her hair back.

From over Laurens shoulder I could see Alice mimicking Lauren with exaggeration. I struggled to hold back the laughter that was building up in me while Lauren prattled on about something. I watched as Alice pointed to the store room and walked in. Eughhh I need to get away!!

I found my queue to leave when I heard Alice's voice from the stockroom door call, "Jasper, when you have a moment could you come and help me? I can't reach one of the shelves."

I sighed dramatically and told Lauren, "Sorry, I have to get back to work." I pointed behind me to the store room and rolled my eyes as if it pained me to leave her.

As I walked away I heard her ask hopefully, "So I'll see you Wednesday?" Damn….I wasn't listening to her talk earlier….ohhh well, "Sure, bye" I called over my shoulder uninterestedly. It's not like I'll see her again…hopefully!! I thought as I entered the stock room.

I practically knocked her over when I hugged her, picking her up at the same time. "Down boy!!" I heard Alice laugh while I had her in my embrace. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!!" I chanted back to her as my head rested on her shoulder.

I still held her off the ground in the hug and felt her arms snake around my neck slowly from my shoulders. "I told you that I'd protect you Jazz," she whispered. I suddenly realised how quiet it was in this room and how some sort of tension was building within it.

I could feel my heart rate increase as Alice slipped one of her hands into my hair at the back of my head. I slowly lifted my head from her shoulder. As I breathed I realised how good she smelt. I moved my nose along her shoulder and up her neck. I took a deep breath, then heard Alice whisper, "It's what friends are for…"

Edwards's sister!! One of my best friends!! What the hell am I doing?

I slowly set her down as the tension in the room subsided with her last words.

I heard her footsteps, and then they stopped. Alice spoke again from the doorway, "That Lauren's fancied you ever since we were small, doesn't look like she's changed much either does it?" I saw the look of confusion in her face as she left. She felt it too?? It was Alice for God sake!!

For the rest of the day I hid quietly in the stockroom. Alice still popped in to check that I was alright, but not as often and she didn't stay as long as she did before our 'moment'.

I have to make things right….maybe I scared her? I was holding her off the floor, tight to me. I rationalised at the end of the day. I'll just show her that we are still friends and that we don't need to feel uncomfortable together. I decided gallantly as I left the stockroom to find her.

She was stood at the checkout talking to some other woman. I read her nametag when I was near enough. Angela. "Hi Angela, I'm Jasper" I greeted her and stood behind Alice.

Angela greeted me back, and the three of us made some small talk about Alice having mentioned me a few times and how I enjoyed my first day.

Alice told Angela that we were off and hugged her goodbye before the two of us headed for home. We walked in silence, which surprisingly wasn't uncomfortable. I felt my feet throbbing so I broke our silence saying, "Do your feet always hurt this bad after work?" Inside I was nervous. Will she even talk to me ever again? Will she tell Edward?….in my defence I didn't really do anything…

I heard her laugh beside me, then as she gave my arm a playful punch she said, "Take it like a man! You'll have to get used to it!" Ahhhh that's better, normal conditions resumed! I celebrated in my mind as I felt my uneasiness slip away.

Edwards POV next up!

Keep giving me some ideas on the halloween costumes please!!